Thousands of Empty Red Seats and Nobody in the Bay Area Is Ready For How Bad That Looks

You guys, you are NOT going to believe this. While the World Cup is rolling, we're getting reports from the Bay Area that are just... well, they're embarrassing. Imagine one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, Qatar battling Switzerland on a Saturday, and there are legitimately thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi's Stadium. Seriously, this isn't a good look for the Emerald City's rivals to the south.

The Ghost Town Vibe at a World Cup Match

It's mind-boggling, right? On an unseasonably warm June afternoon, with the temperature hitting around 82 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff, the cameras were showing thousands of vacant red seats. A lot of those empty spots were on the east side, the part of the stadium that apparently gets super hot for most of the year. And get this: the Swiss fans, all decked out in bright red, just blended right in with those empty red seats. Talk about a visual gut punch for a major international event. To make it even weirder, FIFA apparently blamed empty seats at another match, South Korea versus the Czech Republic in Guadalajara on Friday, on fans who were watching from the concourses. Is that even a real excuse? It sure sounds like a stretch.

Bay Area, What's the Deal?

So, what's happening down there? For NFL games at Levi's Stadium, crowds are often late to arrive because of all the tailgating that happens outside the venue, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. But here's the kicker: tailgating isn't even allowed for World Cup matches. That actually made for super smooth entry on Saturday, with only small lines forming outside several hours before kickoff. That's not a sign of a packed house, folks. Levi's Stadium holds 68,500 for NFL games and can actually expand to more than 70,000 for soccer. They've done it before, too. Brazil and Colombia drew a massive 70,971 just two years ago for a group match at Copa America. And it's not like the stadium is new or anything, it even staged the Super Bowl just four months ago. So, the capacity isn't the issue. The fans are.

This Is Why We're the Best, 12s!

You know what this tells me? This is a stark reminder of what true fandom looks like, and it's certainly not what we're seeing in the Bay Area right now. The 12s, we show up. We fill Lumen Field for our Seahawks, making it the loudest stadium in the league for Mike Macdonald and the boys, whether it's Sam Darnold connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Rashid Shaheed. We pack T-Mobile Park, roaring for Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez every single game. This is what passion looks like! So next time you're heading out to cheer on our teams, remember that we're showing the world what real sports devotion means. Let's keep that energy high, Seattle, and show everyone how it's done!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.